Will Linking to Competitors’ Websites Help?
There is no definitive answer to this one. However, in practice there are both upsides and downsides.
If you remember that a link is seen as a vote in the PageRank system, you’ll be able to appreciate that a link from your website to that of your competition is also viewed as a vote. More importantly, that vote costs you some of your own link value, so you’re both voting for your competition and costing your own website at the same time.
However, there’s an upside and that’s in the social side. My local hardware store keeps a list of other hardware stores in the city behind the counter. If they don’t have what I need, the staff will call around and find it for me. Does that hurt their business or help it? It’s an interesting question. In the end, I keep going back to the same store.
The web works in a similar way. While Google will see your links to other websites as a vote for your competition, it’ll also see those same links as involvement in the community and as a result will better understand your website’s place on the web.
6 Comments
Christopher Ross
Just testing the new comment forms but don’t forget to take a look at my other websites for more helpful tips too!
09 Sep 2010 01:09 pm
Mike Hyrb
Thanks for your plugin and email updates
10 Sep 2010 08:09 pm
Vusal
Chris, In my opinion it is just a stupid idea and the only side that gains something is those so called “Authority websites”!
Doesn’t matter whether you link or not, your position will be the same in the search results!
I encourage everyone not to link to authority websites, it just feeds them you gain NOTHING!
Vusal
10 Sep 2010 11:09 pm
Christopher Ross
@vusal, you’re right in many ways. People tend to link phrases like Google without thinking that it simply adds to the links for major sites while giving little back.
11 Sep 2010 06:09 am
Vusal
Chris,
By the way, I forgot to thank you for the plugin
Keep working!
Wish you success.
11 Sep 2010 11:09 am
James
Please what is the advantages and disadvantages of allowing visitors to make comment without register and register before making coment on a blog and which one is advisable to adopt? Thanks
23 Sep 2010 07:09 am
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